


Howls of the Past

by NamiNeri



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29172900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamiNeri/pseuds/NamiNeri
Summary: This is a Next Gen story of sorts.Rin is the daughter of the Hero of Twilight, and usually helps her father with the ranch and training in the ways of the sword. Other than that she really is just an ordinary little girl of the age of 11. But destiny has no age limit. When Rin is plagued by a mysterious dream with an even more mysterious wolf, Rin soon finds that maybe...just maybe she isn't entirely an ordinary little girl after all.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Howls of the Past

Snow drifted down in soft, frosty flakes in a void of white. A biting wind ripped and tore asunder as the fog swirled on, serving to obstruct the path forward. Within the swirling mass of wintry rage, a young wolf cub stood. At the very center of this strange vortex, she pointed her nose up towards the heavens where the sky was obstructed by clouds of stoney grey fortitude. The wolf’s fur was colored after spring green leaves, a beautiful white underside that blended in perfectly with the world of white around her; striking blue eyes shone like gemstones. Like two deep sapphires as blue as the ocean, they searched looking for anything that would be familiar in this land of endless snow and ice. The puppy paced, looking anxious. A light bark sounded, tiny, and lost to the winds that ruffled her fur. It was like this world of white was doing to swallow the youngster whole.   
  
The wind whipped harder, buffeting the poor cub. She tumbled, falling to the ice covered ground. The cold was so thick that she wasn’t even sure it was real. Would it swallow her? This void of white?  
  
And then...as the winds raged and whipped and howled much like her ilk would on a full-moon night, the puppy heard it. A voice, both familiar and unfamiliar. Kind, but stern, gentle, like a father’s touch.   
  
“ _Young one...child of the Courageous One. Rise, and follow my voice....”  
_  
“Who…are you?” the wolf pup asked, daring to open her eyes against the harsh and biting winds. It didn’t allow for much leverage to see that much was certain. Before the young springtime colored cub was cold, bitter cold that wanted nothing more than to free her solid for time’s eternity. The youngling made to stand back on her paws, gritting her fangs to stand against the howling storm. A satisfied chuckle sounded, and the young puppy looked around. Then there was something new, something that wasn’t there before for certain. Shining like a beacon within this vast wintry kingdom of nothing, a shape glittered like living gold. A figure sat on its haunches, the remaining crimson watching ever closely. And then this figure, phantom, had risen up and began to walk away.   
  
The puppy ambled after it, chasing after it in the snow and ice! But the more she tried, the more difficult it became to keep up. It wasn’t long until the wolf cub realized that the distance between her and this being had become too far away, and she could only see just barely a glimpse of his tail. “W-Wait!!! Please, this blizzard is too strong!”  
  
 _“You must be strong little one...Overcome this blizzard that rages deeply in your heart. You must, or you will never be able to overcome the challenges your destiny has in store for you…”_  
  
“M-My destiny? What’s that supposed to mean!?” The younging howled, but her answer this time was the wind which howled mercilessly and almost ear screeching now. Trapped, alone, and deep in the cold, the wolf cub sat on her hindquarters. Frost was building on her body, her eyes slowly frosting over...but not before seeing a large black shadow with eyes full of hatred rising up from the shadows of the winds. Jagged claws reached out to her, and the wolf puppy was helpless to do nothing but watch and be dragged into an infinite darkness. The last thing she heard:   
  
“Find me, little one. Awaken your courage and awaken to your destiny. Only then can you truly see the way forward…”  
  
And then...there was blackness…  
  
And Rin shot up, drenched in a cold sweat. The girl’s chestnut brown hair was unbound from its tie and curtaining around the young Hylian’s face while her blue eyes were open wide, panting as if she had run a marathon. It took her a moment to notice, but this...was real. Rin was not a wolf cub of cream and leaf-green fur but rather an eleven-year old Hylian girl who was currently sitting safe and sound in her own house, and in her own bed.   
  
Not to mention, it was another warm and sunny day in the valley mountain village known as Ordon and the middle of April. Instead one could smell the sweet scent of the blossoms currently creaking though the woodboards of the tree house that Rin and her father shared. The young girl looked around and breathed out a small sigh of relief as she watched the sunbeams dance and play from her open roof window. “....What a weird dream…” she mused, wondering who or what that strange voice was and who it belonged to. And not to mention that void of white! Or even why in her dream she dreamt that she was an animal.   
  
As much as the young Hylian wanted to ponder the dream more, a shout came. “Rin, are you awake? Come on to the kitchen hunny, breakfast is ready!”   
  
“Okay!!!” Rin shouted back and rose up out of bed. Rin had worn nothing to bed but the shirt on her back, traditional Ordon wear for those who lived in the village. She then proceeded to look about for pants. After putting them on, the young Hylian had walked out of her room, ready to greet the day and of course have breakfast with her father who was waiting for her.   
  
Rin had walked out of her simple bedroom, into the main room of the home. It was pleasant, and warm thanks to being sun filled from the makeshift skylight. While it was small, and only really had an upper and lower floor, (her father slept on the highest level) it was home. Currently she was greeted to the lovely smell that would entice any young girl out of bed, the smell of bacon and fresh porridge. Rin had wandered over by the table, her hair still unbound and unbrushed and climbed into the chair.   
  
Over by the stove was none other than Rin’s father, currently stirring a rather large pot of porridge over the oval shaped oven. For a man in his early 30’s Link appeared to be quite handsome even still even if he was a bit more scarred, a little older and somewhat chiseled looking. His hair was slightly longer than it was in his youth, but the man’s face was still gentle when he wasn’t wearing a scowling expression. Dressed in the traditional garb of their village, Link turned to face his daughter with a small smile. “Good morning Rin.” In his hands he had a bowl of porridge, topped with a sunnyside egg and a couple slices of bacon which he set down in front of the Hylian child. He took a moment to run his hand through her chestnut hair, rubbing a lock in between his fingers. “Dear Goddesses, child. Your hair is starting to get a bit out of hand. I think you are due for a cut soon.”   
  
“Mmm.” Rin replied, not caring one way or the other as she poked about her porridge lamely. While it smelled delicious and inviting, Rin couldn’t really bring herself to even take one bite. Her blue eyes were cast downwards, mind still far away in the land of the white void of snow and ice. Where a voice that called to her rang out loud and clear.   
  
“Come...your destiny, your trail...it awaits you…Find me, innocent one...”   
  
Link titled his head to the side, noticing the dreamy, half far away look on his daughter’s face. He watched her stab at her meal not really eating it, but mindlessly stirring it about as if Rin currently wasn’t sitting at the table. With a sigh, the aged Hero pulled up his chair and sat down in it. “Rin.” he called softly but that didn’t seem to jostle her. With a slight frown he touched her shoulder but that wasn’t enough to incite a response either.   
  
Link grumbled and sighed and muttered a quick apology. Then he gently took one of the long pointed ears Hylians were known for and gave it a swift, but stern tug. Not enough to to hurt but just enough to gain attention.   
  
“Hey!” The young girl squeaked, grasping a hold of her ear and looking up reproachfully at her father. “Wh-what was that for, Daddy?!”   
  
“I’ve been calling you for about 5 minutes.” Link replied, dropping his hand away from her ears and staring into her youthful and rounded face. “Rin, is everything okay? You’ve been acting a little strange since you woke up. You haven’t touched your breakfast and you’ve been staring off into space.” The hero’s face shifted from being slightly stern, to concern as he placed his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. “Are you alright, hon?” He asked again, this time a little bit of his country accent shining through.   
  
The young Hylian couldn’t help it, but when she looked into Link’s eyes they always were like looking into the eyes of a wolf. Sharp, cunning, the light of the Hero shining brightly. She could feel her father’s touch being so warm and full of love and concern. Rin couldn’t help but feel safe here. But looking into her father’s face, she didn’t understand why but for some reason that golden figure flashed before her. A dreamy haze, the fire waned. For a moment it was like...Rin wasn’t at home but standing in the middle of that blizzard again with the figure beckoning her to follow it. Follow it...golden...four legged….a tail…?  
  
“Rin?” Link called softly, gently shaking her shoulders. “What’s wrong hunny?”   
  
“Daddy…” Rin finally answered looking up at him. For some reason, when she saw Link she was reminded of that golden beast. “Daddy...I...I had a weird dream.”   
  
Link raised a curious eyebrow. “A dream? Do you want to talk about it?”  
  
“Mhm.” Rin nodded her head very slowly. She knew deeply in her heart that her father would know what to do. Telling him felt like the safe and warm option. So she told him. In her dream that she was a wolf puppy, searching in a blizzard storm that raged endlessly and a beast of golden fur that called out to follow it and seek her destiny. Link quietly listened to his child’s tale, pensive and blank face as she told him all that she saw.   
  
“And then...I tried to follow it, I think it was a wolf too...I’m not sure I couldn’t see too well. But when I tried I…” she shivered remembering being eaten and swallowed by a great darkness that was too vast for her young mind to comprehend. Link was quiet throughout the whole tale, rubbing his chin in thought as the sunshine trickled into their warm house. After a while Link finally opened his eyes and let out a very long sigh.   
  
“It can be hard to tell. But I don’t think this is any ordinary dream, hon. Something or someone may be calling out to you.” Link finally said rather slowly. Then he smiled warmly and gave the girl a hug. “It could be something greater, leading you to something bigger than yourself. You are so young and have so much life ahead of you. Dreams, prophecies or warnings abound, sometimes they call out no matter what age you are.”   
  
“But…” Rin still looked slightly troubled. “What does it mean, Daddy? Who is the wolf that keeps calling me?”   
  
Link reached down and tucked her unruly hair behind her long elf-like ears, chewing on his next words carefully. A golden wolf...There wasn’t much of a mystery to him. But what was _he_ still doing abound? Instead Link only smiled down at his child and took Rin’s cheek in his palm. “In due time, hon. You will know. Answers don’t come so easily sometimes no matter how much we seek them out. Sometimes they must come to us.” Link gave Rin a kiss on the forehead and then lifted her crested left hand to give her a kiss on her knuckle. “For now dear, all you can do is live your life. One day you will know everything you need to know.”   
  
“What will I do ‘til then?” Rin asked sweetly, giggling slightly at Link’s kisses. “Can I still go outside and play?”   
  
Link let out a hearty chuckle and ruffled her beautiful chestnut brown locks. “Of course you can. I can take care of the ranch since it’s all big Rancher stuff. I’ll call you when it’s time to herd the goats so you can go play in the forest and fields. Just don’t go--”  
  
“Too deep within Faron Woods, and outside of Faron Province. I know!” Rin was now shovelling her porridge down into her mouth much like the ravenous wolf cub that she appeared as in her dreams. Link smiled and joined her breakfast. Afterwards the two had cleaned up their bowls for   
Link to wash later and Rin had grabbed her ‘Junior Hero’s Set’ which consisted of her own wooden sword, which Link had hewned for her, a slingshot and a satchel for carrying the seeds, and her sketchbook to doodle many interesting things while out on the forest trail. After bidding a happy goodbye to Link, and (once more promising him to stay away from the deepest parts of Faron Woods), Rin was off and on her way.   
  
The two horses that were currently grazing outside of their home paused in their grazing to greet the young girl with a happy bray or whinny and then went right back to it as Rin stopped to admire the lovely sunny day. Not a cloud in the sky and the weather was perfect! It seemed like her dream of a world of snow and ice was like another lifetime to be sure.   
  
Rin had carefully climbed down the stairs, (Link had them installed when he had to house a baby and accessing his home via a ladder was likely not the best child-friendly option), and quickly shot past the two horses. The black colt with lovely white splotches that looked like ink splatters had brayed in excitement and rushed off after the girl. The more elderly mare of a lovely reddish-brown hue whinnied and flicked her snowy tail.   
  
If she could talk it likely would be something along the lines of. _‘Ah the excitement of the youth.’_ and went back to grazing peacefully.   
  
Rin had giggled, walking along with her colt friend in tow. He still wasn’t quite old enough to ride for long periods of time, but loved to follow Rin whenever she was off exploring the forest. The clip of his hooves was music to Rin’s ears as the two walked along the dappled forest path together. Past the scared quiet spring of Ordon, and across the bridge that connected the canyon, Rin found herself within the calm peaceful forest that was Faron Woods.   
  
However as soon as Rin had set foot into the woods she had stopped dead. Her colt companion who had been trotting along fancily had bumped right into the girl’s still back with a surprised neigh! Rin however was transfixed, her feet feeling like they had turned to cinder blocks. The light of the forest seemed to fade away, instead like it was an early form of Twilight…  
  
Standing in the middle of the clearing sitting right in the entrance way was a wolf of golden fur. Bigger than any animal that Rin had ever seen, sitting gracefully on its haunches.   
  
It stared into her very soul with its one burning, crimson eye. The other had been scarred shut. The wolf appeared older, so much older than time itself and once more Rin found herself back in that snowy white void, but only just for a moment as the wolf stood up and stalked towards her. Fear sparked up in the girl’s chest as the beast drew nearer, and only then was its true size unveiled. It was so much bigger than any wolf Rin had ever laid eyes on and yet….it stopped short just within pouncing range.   
  
And then something even stranger happened. A voice that Rin knew too well by this point echoed around her and from the beast. _“Innocent Youth, child of my bloodline....You have found me, and I have been waiting for you.”_  
  
“Wh--who are you…” Rin asked, finally choking out the words. A flash of light had overtaken the girl’s eyesight forcing her to shield her eyes for safely. When the light faded, Rin slowly uncovered them and this time was not faced with a Wolf but a spirit in aged, and weathered armor, impossible to tell what color it used to be. A sword with a cracked blade, a shield covered in ivy and ghostly red eyes that flickered out of a spectral form. At first it looked like the face of a skull in the helmet but as Rin looked closer she could see that it was actually the face of a man. The man looked vaguely like her father but...much older, and so much more grizzled and yet the ears were unmistakable.   
  
The man had bent down on one knee, as if bowing to a princess and removed his helmet. Now the appearance was too similar to be a coincidence. His white hair fell out in long strands as he smiled in the same familiar way Link did. Now that they were eyelevel, Rin could see his face was scarred from many battles. _“In life, I was known as the Hero of Time. I was the boy who crossed through the sea of time to save our fair kingdom from evil eternal. In death I wandered unable to pass on, until I guided your father in my secret knowledge of the blade. I was known as the Hero’s Shade to him. And now...my young descendant, daughter of my son and bloodline, I have returned to guide you. It is your turn. Rin, Daughter of the Hero of Twilight, Descendant of the Hero of Time, I implore thee to take this task.”_  
  
  
  



End file.
